Prince Harry labelled ‘irresponsible’ for praising Class A drug by aunt of woman killed by it
Harry has been criticised for speaking positively about his experience with a Class A substance
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Prince Harry has said using some drugs “really” helped him mentally, but his comments have come under fire for potentially glorifying substance abuse.
In an interview with trauma expert Dr Gabor Maté on Saturday, the Duke of Sussex spoke about his drug use, saying that marijuana “actually really did help me.”
Harry said he also used psychedelics such as ayahuasca, telling Maté: “It was the cleaning of the windscreen, cleaning of the windshield, the removal of life’s filters just as much as on Instagram, these layers of filters.
“It removed it all for me and brought me a sense of relaxation, release, comfort, a lightness that I managed to hold on to for a period of time.
Prince Harry sat down with Hungarian-Canadian physician Dr Gabor MatéRandom House
“I started doing it recreationally and then started to realise how good it was for me, I would say it is one of the fundamental parts of my life that changed me and helped me deal with the traumas and pains of the past.”
But his comments have faced criticism, with the aunt of a woman who died from substance abuse saying the Duke was “irresponsible.”
Speaking to The Sun, Fiona Chase said her niece, Jennifer Spencer, killed herself in 2019 after suffering psychosis from Class A drug ayahuasca.
Chase told the newspaper: “He should not be speaking positively about this drug. It’s irresponsible because a lot of people look up to him.
Harry was criticised for being "irresponsible" when describing his history with drugs
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“It worked for him, but it certainly didn’t work for Jenny. Like every drug, different people react differently.”
At the inquest to the death of Spencer, 29, the coroner urged the NHS England to act accordingly as there were insufficient warnings in place.
“There is a lack of awareness about shamanic hallucinogenic drugs and their propensity to cause or exacerbate psychosis.
“In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths.”
Copies of Harry's book, Spare, were give to customers who paid for a ticket to Saturday's event
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Elsewhere in the interview, Maté said he was able to diagnose Harry with ADD after reading his memoir, Spare.
Tickets for the event cost £17, plus a £2.12 fee for UK customers, and included a copy of the book which became the fastest-selling non-fiction book in the UK since records began following its release in January.